Class C-2: Perkins County to meet Sutton in finals
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Friday's Class C-2 tournament results:
Perkins County 73, West Point CC 64: When you have Sara Wilson and Debra Johnson on the floor, it’s hard to imagine a team needing a spark plug. Yet, that’s exactly the role that Carlie Sis has played for top-ranked Perkins County in this year’s C-2 girls state basketball tournament.
“We talked at halftime and said we needed someone to bring us some energy,” Perkins County coach Chris Mestl said following Friday’s 73-63 semifinal victory against West Point Central Catholic.
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“Carlie has been that for us, and that showed out on the floor again today,” he said.
Friday, 11 of Sis’ 17 points came in the second half as Perkins County (23-0) pulled away from a halftime deadlock to reach the championship game for the second straight year.
Wilson scored 26 points Friday, one day after the junior guard had 27 in a first-round win. Johnson added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Yet it was Sis who began the third quarter with two key buckets, and who went to the free-throw line eight times in the fourth quarter — she hit seven — and pulled down five late rebounds.
On Thursday, Sis had 15 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Plainsmen held off Elkhorn Valley.
“They’ve got some real good athletes, and they apparently don’t miss from the free-throw line,” said Central Catholic’s Jerry Stracke after seeing Perkins County go 28-of-35 from the stripe. “They’re making a lot of passes that other teams can’t make. That comes with experience and playing so much together.”
Nicole Stieren scored 18 points and a foul-plagued Kristine Ortmeier had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the No. 4 Bluejays (21-4).
--Todd Henrichs
Sutton 51, Cambridge 40: When Sutton girls basketball coach Andy Gerlecz talks about doing whatever it takes to win, now we know what he means.
* Valuing possessions. His Fillies turned the ball over only four times in the second half of Friday’s Class C-2 state semifinal against Cambridge.
* Hitting the boards. Sutton allowed Cambridge one lone offensive rebound after intermission.
* And don’t forget hitting free throws. The Fillies certainly had that mastered, sinking 13 of 14 in the fourth quarter to lock up a spot in Saturday’s final.
“Those are things you have to control when you’re down here,” Gerlecz said. “And, if you’re going to win a title, you’ve got to defend in the half-court.”
Sutton, which last played for a championship in 2003, is back in the finals after knocking off previously unbeaten Cambridge 51-40 at Pershing Center. The third-ranked Fillies never trailed, but they did have to withstand two scares when No. 2 Cambridge got as close as one point down the stretch.
The Trojans’ Traci Keyser finished with 16 points, but the junior forward was just 5-of-17 from the field.
“We were going to try to make their best players make tougher shots,” said Gerlecz, whose Fillies will face top-ranked Perkins County in Saturday’s championship game.
“Perkins County has what, four or five best players?” Gerlecz added. “I don’t know what we’re going to do there.”
The Fillies (23-1) could certainly use a quick start, like the one Friday that produced a nine-point first-half lead. Freshman Jamie Van Kirk finished with 14 points, but Courtney Stone added 12 — hitting 7 of 8 free throws — and Courtney Spongberg added 10 – going 8-for-8 from the line.
Sutton’s lead was just 40-36 when Logan Rath fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, yet Cambridge went the next 2:40 without a field goal as the Fillies pulled away at the line.
“One great thing about our team is when we get in pressure situations, we stay relaxed,” said Van Kirk, who quickly turned her attention to the final.
“They’re very physical, they’re big and they can play basketball,” she said of the Plainsmen. “We’re excited to face them.”
Cambridge (23-1) was stopped just shy of its goal of facing Perkins County in a championship game pitting two unbeatens from the southwest part of the state. Shelby Schultz had 15 points for the Trojans, who were without injured point guard Bailey Soucie on Friday.
--Todd Henrichs
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